Foundation garment



3 SheiS-Sheet l Filed oci. 1o, 1951 Y 1N VEN TOR. BLANCHE Y Fais CHERarma/my April 12, 1955 B. FRxscHER 2,705,799

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed 061.. l0, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.BLANCHE FRISCHER B. FRlscVHER FOUNDATION GARMENT April 12, 1955 3Sheets-Sheef Filed OCT.. l0, 1951 Affi/FIVE? United States Patent OFOUNDATION GARMENT Blanche Frischer, Bronx, N. Y.

Application October 10, 1951, Serial No. 250,634

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-37) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in foundation garments.

More specically, the present invention is concerned chiefly with theformation of a novel foundation garment having a front panel includingcrossed bands arranged substantially above the horizontal center of thegarment in a manner to extend across and shape the abdomen area of thebody without interfering with freedom of leg movement.

Another object of the present invention proposes arranging the bias cutbands so that their directions of stretch extend at right angles to oneanother to have maximum compression across the abdomen area.

The present invention further proposes securing the elastic bandstogether where they cross one another in a manner to divide off atwo-layer diamond shaped or hexagonally shaped area at the center of thepanel with the directions of stretches of the layers extending inopposite directions to have maximum compression on the abdomen.

Still further, the present invention proposes completing the formationof the front panel by a piece of elastic material below the crossedbands in a manner so that the garment when worn will permit freedom ofbody movement while at the same time having the desired compressioneffect on the abdomen region of the body.

A further object of the present invention proposes the construction of anovel rear panel for use with the front panel, which rear panel ischaracterized by a pair of crossed upwardly and outwardly extended bandswhich have their top outer ends arranged on substantially the samehorizontal level as the bottom outer ends of the bands of the frontpanel in a manner so that the garment will function to lift the rump ofthe body while at the same time compressing the abdomen.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct foundationgarments which are simple, which are effective for their intendedpurposes and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a foundation garment constructedin accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one of the crossed bands, per se.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the bottom piece, per se.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the top piece, per se. Fig. 6 is afront elevational view of the foundation garment constructed inaccordance with a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line9 9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line10-10 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 1l is an elevational View of one of the crossed 2,705,799 PatentedApr. 12, 1955 ICC Vshown in Figs. 6 to 10 l Fig. l2 is an elevationalview of the bottom piece used 1n the front panel of the garment shown inFigs. 6 to 10.

Fig. 13 is an elevational view of one of the crossed bands used in therear panel of the garment shown in Figs. 6 to l0.

Fig. 14 is an elevational view of the top piece used in the rear panelof the garment shown in Figs. 6 to 10.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the foundationgarment constructed in accordance with a further modification.

Fig. 16 is a view similar tovFig. 6, but illustrating still anothermodification of the foundation garment.

Fig. 17 is a front elevational view of the foundation garment inaccordance with .a further modification of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is an elevational view of one of the crossed lln'ands used inthe form of the invention shown in Fig.

Fig. 19 is a view similar to Fig. 17, but illustrating a furthermodification of the foundation garment.

Fig. 20 is an elevational view of 'one of the crossed llands used in theform of the invention shown in Fig.

The foundation garment, according to the first form of the presentinvention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, includes a front panel 20 joined at itsvertical side edges to side panels 21 of elastic material which areextended to the rear and joined to rear panel, not shown. In this firstform of the invention, the formation of the rear panel is not animportant feature of the present construction and that rear panel mayhave any desired formation. The side panels are preferably formed of twoway stretch material as indicated by the crossed arrows A in Fig. l.

The top of the garment is bounded by a waist engaging strip 22 and thebottom of the garment is bounded by a bottom strip 23 for encircling thetop of the legs.

The bottom strip 23 has secured thereto the usual stocking supportingmembers 24 and the side of the garment is formed with a placket openingclosed by the customary slide fastener 25. If desired, the garment canbe constructed as a one-piece girdle or panty girdle without the placketopening and slide fastener 25.

The front panel 20 is formed of a pair of crossed bands 26, a top piece27 and a bottom piece 28. The crossed bands 26 are alike in shape exceptthat they are of opposite hand. Each of the cross bands is cut on thebias of one-way stretch material and are disposed with relation to eachother so that their directions of stretch extend at right angles to eachother as indicated by the arrows C on Figs. l and 3.

Each of the bands 26 has a straight vertical outer edge 26 forming apart of the vertical side edge of the front panel 20 which is secured tothe side panels 21.

The bands 26 have straight horizontal top edge portions 26b secured tothe adjacent bottom edge of the top strip 22 and downwardly inclined topedge portions 26C. The bottom edges 26d of the crossed panels 26 areV-shaped, as best shown in Fig. 3. With the bands having the shape shownin Fig. 3, their bottom inner portions are superimposed forming a doublelayer area 29 of diamond-shape with the direction of the stretch of thelayers extending at right angles to each other, as indicated by thecrossed arrow D in Fig. l. The crossed bands are located at about thehorizontal center of the front panel so as to have maximum compressionon the abdomen region of the body.

The top piece 27 is of inverted triangular shape, see Fig. 5, and hasits top edge secured to the bottom of the top waist engaging strip 22between the straight top edge portions 26b of the bands 26. Thedownwardly converged bottom edges of the top piece 27 are secured to thetop ends of the downwardly inclined top edge portions 26c of the bandsby stitches 30. The remaining portions of the downwardly inclined topedge portions 26c are joined to the face of the other band 26 by thestitches 31.

The bottom piece 28 has a V-shaped top which is secured to thesuperimposed V-shaped bottom edges 26d of the bands by stitches 32. Thevertical side edges of the bottom piece are secured to the side panels21 below the vertical outer edges 26a of the bands 26 and the bottomedge of the bottom piece 28 is secured to the top edge of the bottomstrip 23- The top piece 27 is formed of two-way stretch material asshown by the crossed arrow E in Figs. 1 and 5 and the bottom piece 28 isalso formed of two-way stretch material as indicated by the crossedarrow F in Figs. 1 and 4.

The stitches 31 and 32 serve to join the bands 26 completely about thetwo layer diamond shaped area 29 so that the layers of that area cannotshift with relation to each other and so restrict the elastic threads ofthose areas of the bands to stretch at right angles to each other so asto have the desired maximum compression on the abdomen region of thebody.

From the foregoing description` it will be appreciated that when thegarment of the present invention is worn, the front panel andparticularly the diamond shaped area 29 thereof will have maximumcompression on the abdomen region of the body while leaving theremaining portions of the body free for desired body movement.

In the modification of the present invention shown in Figs. 6 to 14, thefoundation garment is comprised of a front panel 20 joined at itsvertical side edges to the twoway stretch side panels 21 which are inturn joined to the vertical side edges of a rear panel 40. The frontpanel 20 is of substantially the same construction as the front panel ofthe iirst form of the invention differing only in that the bands 26'have downwardly inclined bottom edges 26dd joined at their bottom endsto the inverted V-shaped top edge of the bottom piece 28' by the jstitches 33.

The top ends of the inclined bottom edges 26dd of each of the bands 26are joined to the face of the other band by the stitches 32. The bottomends of the bands 26 have vertical edges 26e joined to the side panels21 below the vertical side edges 26a of the bands.

The rear panel is formed of a pair of crossed bands 41 and a top piece42. The crossed bands 41 are alike in shape except that they are ofopposite hand. The crossed bands 41 are located substantially below thehorizontal center of the rear panel to engage beneath the rump of thebody and they are cut on the bias of one-way stretch material and aredisposed with relation to each other so that their directions of stretchextend at right angles to cach other, as indicated by the arrows R inFigs. 7 and 13.

Each of the band 41 has a straight vertical outer edge 41a forming partsof the vertical side edges of the real panel 40 which is secured to theside panels 21. The bands 41 further have inclined top edges 41h,straight horizontal bottom edge portions 41c and inclined bottom edgeportions 41d. The straight horizontal bottom edge portions 41c are equalto one-half the width of the bottom edge of the rear panel 40 and arejoined to the top edge of the bottom strip 23 in continuation of oneanother and on opposite sides of the vertical center of the rear panel40.

In those positions of the bands 41, they cross each other intermediateof their ends dividing ol a two layer diamond-shaped area 44 which hasits bottom corner touching on the top edge of the bottom strip 23. Thedirection of stretching of the layers forming the diamond-shaped area 44extend at right angles to each other as indicated by the crossed arrowsS in Figs. 7 and 8. The perimeter of the diamond-shaped area 44 isbounded by stitches 45 which hold the two layers against shifting withrelation to each other.

The top piece 42 is formed of two way stretch material as indicated bythe arrows T and has its top edge secured to the bottom edge of the topWaist engaging strip 22. The vertical side edges of the top piece 42 arejoined to the side panels 21. The top piece has a V-shaped bottom edge,see particularly Fig. 14 and that bottom edge is secured to the top endsof the inclined top edge 41b of the bands 41 by the stitches 46.

From Figs. 6 to 8, it will be noted that the crossed bands 26 of thefront panel 20 and the crossed bands 41 of the rear panel 40 are soarranged that the top ends of the crossed bands 41 form continuations ofthe bottom ends of the crossed bands 26 with their directions of stretchextending parallel, see particularly Fig. 8. With that arrangement, thebands 26' and 41 exert a force parallel to their directions of stretchso as to simultaneously compress the abdomen region of the body and liftthe rump giving the body a pleasing shape when viewed in prole.

While the rear panel 40 has been designed chiey for use in themodification of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 14, it is appreciatedthat such rear panel could also lormsa part of the form ofthe inventionshown in Figs.

The modication of the invention shown in Fig. 15 is similar to thatdescribed in Figs. 1 to 5 dilering in that the horizontal top edges 26bof the crossed bands 26 have been increased in length to one-half thewidth of the front panel 20. Those top edges 261. are arranged in endalignment and secured to the bottom edge of the top strip 22 therebyraising the top corner of the diamondshaped two-layer area 29 intocontact with the bottom edge of the top strip 22 eliminating the needfor the triangularly shaped top piece 27 used in the lrst form of thepresent invention.

In all other respects the form of the invention shown in Fig. 15 issimilar to that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5 and likereference numerals are used for like parts.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 16 is similar to that describedin connection with Figs. 6 to 14 differing only in fact that the crossedbands 26 are formed of one-way stretch material wider than that used inthe Jform of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 14 so as to form asubstantially hexagonally shaped double-layer area 29' at about thecenter of the front panel 20.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 16 is similar to thatillustrated in Figs. 6 to 14 and like reference numerals are used toidentify like parts.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 17 and 18, the front panel20 is characterized by two downwardly and inwardly inclined bands 56,shaped as shown in Fig. 19 but being of opposite hand, which have theirbottom inner ends overlapped forming a hexagonally shaped two-layer area29" located mid-way of the sides of the front panel 20 and at about thevertical center of the garment. The bands 56 as in the previous forms ofthe invention are formed of one-way stretch material, see the arrows P,having their directions of stretch extending in opposite directions sothat the layers of the area 29" stretch in opposite directions, see thearrow O on Fig: 18 to have maximum compression on the abdomen region.

The bottom ends of the bands 56 forming the doublelayer area 29" arestitched to themselves and to the adjacent edges of the bottom piece 2Sby stitches 58. The outer top end of the bands 56 are secured to theadjacent edges of bottom piece 28, the side panels 21 and the top piece22 and the top triangular piece 27 by means of stitches 59.

In all other respects, the form of the foundation garment shown in Figs.17 and 18 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and like referencenumerals identify like parts. It is further believed that the formationof the pieces 27, 28" and S7 will be apparent from a consideration ofFig. 18 without requiring a separate showing of each of those pieces.The front and rear panels can also be formed by cutting out the variousshapes and then stitching them together individually.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 19 and 20, which is in allrespects similar to that described in connection with Figs. 17 and 18,is characterized by the fact that the bottom inner ends of the crossbands 56' are shaped to form a double-layer area 29" having a roundedbottom edge and an upwardly pointed top edge located mid-way between thesides of the front panel and at about the vertical center of thegarment.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is similar to thatshown in Figs. 17 and 18 and like parts are identified by the samereference numerals.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdeiined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1. A front panel having a top,bottom and sides for a foundation garment comprising, a waist engagingstrip across the top of the panel, a pair of crossed downwardly andinwardly inclined bands located at about the horizontal center of thepanel and formed of bias cut one-way stretch material having theirdirection of stretch eX- tended at right angles to each other, each bandbeing secured to the panel sides and to the waist engaging strip, anelastic insert secured to said waist strip and to said bands, and linesof stitches securing together said bands along their crossing edgesthereby dividing off a diamondshaped two layer area for compressing theabdomen area of the body.

2. A front panel having a top, bottom and sides for a foundation garmentcomprising, a waist engaging strip across the top of the panel, a pairof crossed downwardly and inwardly inclined bands located at about thehorizontal center of the panel and formed of bias cut one-way stretchmaterial having their direction of stretch eX- tended at right angles toeach other, each band being secured to the panel sides and to the waistengaging strip, an elastic insert secured to said waist strip and tosaid bands, and lines of stitches securing together said bands alongtheir crossing edges thereby dividing ot a diamondshaped two layer areafor compressing the abdomen area of the body, said bands formingsuperimposed V-shaped bottom edges and a V-shaped insert secured to thesuperimposed bottom edges of said bands.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 595,554Bond Dec. 14, 1897 1,927,357 Borneman Sept. 19, 1933 2,168,009 Van PraagAug. 1, 1939 2,527,926 Frischer Oct. 31, 1950 2,553,301 Colby May l5,1951 2,557,767 Schlageter June 19, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 401,572 GreatBritain Nov. 16, 1933 622,253 Great Britain Apr. 28, 1949

